32 Tertius, 10529

Emperor George II was today a guest on Life Matters, a daily social affairs programme broadcast nationwide by ABC Radio National, a part of Australia’s public television and radio network.

Emperor George II speaking with Radio National's Jane Carow this morning.

His Imperial Majesty appeared on this morning’s edition of the programme with Dr Judy Lattas of Macquarie University’s Department of Sociology, with whom he is co-convenor of PoliNation – the world’s first academic conference on self-declared polities and ephemeral statelike entities, which is taking place in Sydney this week.

16 Decimus, 10528

A newly-published book by Australian author William Pitt is set to reintroduce Atlantium to readers interested in the long and fascinating history of micronations and similar unrecognised statelike entities in the Great Southern Land.

The new book that's introducing Atlantium to readers everywhere.

The first half of An Australian Monarch focuses on the four decade-long history of the Hutt River Principality in all its colourful and sometimes excruciating complexity – as well as the personal story of its maverick founder – octogenarian farmer, bush lawyer and homespun royal Leonard George Casley – better known to the world as Prince Leonard.

In the second half, the author goes on to explore the concept of frontier-society individualism, its imputed relationship to numerous historical instances of regional secessionism in Australia, and its apparent contemporary manifestation in the form of a clutch of notable micronations – including Atlantium – whose individual histories, philosophical bases and contemporary operations are explored in some detail.

An Australian Monarch is to be formally launched by Prince Leonard on 4 February 2010, in Sydney. The event will take place in the Dixon Room of the State Library of New South Wales, commencing at 3pm. Atlantium will be represented by Emperor George II and his entourage.

Atlantian citizens and supporters are welcome to attend the event as part of the Emperor’s official party. To register, contact the Office of the Emperor. Telephone: +61 420 55 49 49 or email emperor@atlantium.org

9 Decimus, 10528

Emperor George II this week hosted a two-day private visit to Atlantium’s Province of Aurora by Kieran Bennett and friend, of Wodonga, Victoria.

The visitors thus became the first to Aurora whose presence was officially designated as being for “private tourism purposes”.

Aurora visitor Kieran Bennett raises the flag of the micronation of Lavalon over Capital Hill.

The visit included a walking tour conducted by His Imperial Majesty, which took in all of the province’s major natural and modern man-made features, as well as several historical sites, including Capital Hill, Castle Hill, the Foundation Monument site, Constitution Hill, Lake Carla, the Via Concordia, the Old Taylors Flat Road cutting and the Battery Flat archaeological site.

The visitors also enjoyed a day trip taking in the town of Cowra, with its unique joint Australian-Japanese War Cemetary, and nearby Wyangala Dam, the current condition of which serves as a powerful demonstration of the environmental impacts of climate change.

The dam was built between 10447 and 10490 (1928 and 1971 CE) to control the flow of the Lachlan River, near whose headwaters Aurora is situated. In recent years the Lachlan has effectively ceased to flow due to the effects of a prolonged decade-long drought affecting southeastern Australia, and the dam currently holds barely 5% of its intended capacity.

Wyangala Dam is currently at barely 5% capacity.

The Wyangala visit was of particular interest to Mr Bennett, who is an active environmetalist, political progressive and former member of the Australian Greens party. In addition to standing unsuccessfully as a Greens candidate in the most recent Victorian municipal elections, he has worked as campaign manager for Greens candidates in several elections in both the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.

He also maintains an active interest in the phenomenon of micronations and unrecognised statelike entities, and currently serves as an administrator of the List of Micronations Forum – the world’s leading online micronation discussion group. The LOM Forum is owned and managed as a private concern by His Imperial Majesty – who is widely recognised as an international authority on the subject.

Mr Bennett is the founder of his own micronation – the Republic of Lavalon – which currently exists as a largely theoretical exercise, strongly grounded in liberal, progressive, environmental and social justice concerns.

As a unique courtesy offered to Aurora’s first official tourists, the Emperor personally authorised the raising of the Lavalonian flag over Capital Hill by Mr Bennett on the second day of his stay.

The visitors pronounced themselves impressed with Aurora’s natural beauty, and the abundance of its wildlife – as well as with the plans for the Province’s future environmentally-sensitive development as an eco-tourism destination that were outlined at length by their host.

At the conclusion of their stay the visitors expressed a desire to return for further visits, and were issued an open invitation to do so.

The Empire of Atlantium’s Province of Aurora is located 310 kilometres southwest of Sydney, in the Southwest Slopes region of the Australian state of New South Wales.

Aurora welcomes one-day or short-stay visits by private individuals or travel groups. All visits must be scheduled in advance through the Office of the Emperor. Email emperor@atlantium.org, or telephone +61 420 55 49 49 for further information.

26 Septimus, 10528

Atlantium is to be the subject of a story to be broadcast on Barcelona-based radio station COMRàdio.

Emperor George II is to be interviewed by journalist Roger Seró as part of the segment, which will feature on a regular weekly programme specialising in geographical and national curiosities. The story will air during Octavus (September).

20 Septimus, 10528

The Swiss Sculpture Exhibition has been conducted periodically since 10473 (1954); this year it is being held in the city of Biel (known to French-speakers as Bienne), which is world renowned as the centre of the Swiss watchmaking industry.

The event will feature fifty artworks by Swiss and international artists focusing on the theme of “utopias, micronations and intentional communities”, which will be installed throughout the city.

At the invitation of Utopics’ director, Simon Lamunière, the Empire’s Dawn Sky Tricolour will fly beside the flags of 29 other self-declared, unrecognised statelike entities and micronations throughout Septimus/Octavus (September).

The Vexillum – known colloquially as the Dawn Sky Tricolour, is the Empire’s oldest and most revered symbol. It has served as Atlantium’s ‘national flag’ since its creation, and may be freely flown by any Citizen who wishes to do so.

It was created by Imperial Fiat on 19 Quartus, 10501 (8 May, 1982), but existed solely as a design concept until 10520 (2001) when the first fabric versions were produced; however, until today the flag had only been ceremonially displayed indoors at the Prefecture of Idalia and at several international exhibitions and conferences in Europe and the United States; it had never been flown from an outdoor flagpole.

As reported previously, construction of Atlantium’s Foundation Monument on Capital Hill in central Concordia commenced recently; the installation of the first of the monument’s three flagpoles was undertaken this week, and this enabled today’s historic flag-raising to proceed.

The leading vexillological society of record in Australasia – the Flag Society of Australia Inc – has been notified, and president Ralph Bartlett has advised the Imperial Administration of his intention of reporting the matter in the Society’s journal in due course.

Mr Bartlett initially reported on the flags of Atlantium as part of a paper he delivered to the XI International Congress of Vexillology in Madrid, Spain, in 10504 (1985).

Readers wishing to purchase their own Imperial State Vexillum may visit Mr Flag – official vexillological supplier to the Empire of Atlantium.

23 Quartus, 10528

The Brazilian Senate today approved a congratulatory motion in honour of Atlantium’s most senior diplomat – and one of the most eminent members of the Imperial Administration – His Excellency Count Lamartine de Hollanda Jr.

HE Count Lamartine de Hollanda Jr, head of Atlantium's Imperial Legation to Brazil.

The motion to honour Count de Hollanda for his lifetime achievement across the fields of medicine, academia, journalism, public relations and diplomacy (Vote of Congratulations Number 534 (2009)) was moved by Senator Mozarildo Cavalcanti, and passed unanimously.

The Vote of Congratulations also specifically recognises Count de Hollanda’s receipt of the 2008 Mahatma Gandhi Prize Against Torture and Discrimination, which he was awarded by the European Council Against Torture and Discrimination, in Monaco, in Secundus 10528 (February 2009).

The Imperial Administration of Atlantium offers its enthusiastic congratulations to Count de Hollanda, and endorses the sentiments of both the Brazilian federal legislature, and ECATD in honouring him.